Migratory Species Full ReportAn in-depth description of The Nature Conservancy’s phase one methods in collecting marine species tracking data, analyzing migration patterns and threats, and identifying key areas as conservation priorities.

Shackelford, C.E., E.R. Rozenburg, W.C. Hunter and M.W. Lockwood. 2005. Migration and the Migratory Birds of Texas: Who They Area and Where They Are Going. Texas Parks and Wildlife PWD BK W7000-511 (11/05). Booklet, 34pp.

Maguire, J.-J., M. Sissenwine, J. Csirke, R. Grainger, and S. Garcia. 2006. The State of World Highly Migratory, Straddling and Other High Seas Fishery Resources and Associated Species. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome. http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0653e/a0653e00.htm

Migratory Species Full ReportAn in-depth description of The Nature Conservancy’s phase one methods in collecting marine species tracking data, analyzing migration patterns and threats, and identifying key areas as conservation priorities.

Shackelford, C.E., E.R. Rozenburg, W.C. Hunter and M.W. Lockwood. 2005. Migration and the Migratory Birds of Texas: Who They Area and Where They Are Going. Texas Parks and Wildlife PWD BK W7000-511 (11/05). Booklet, 34pp.

Maguire, J.-J., M. Sissenwine, J. Csirke, R. Grainger, and S. Garcia. 2006. The State of World Highly Migratory, Straddling and Other High Seas Fishery Resources and Associated Species. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome. http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0653e/a0653e00.htm

Migratory Species Conservation is a project led by The Nature Conservancy to examine the migratory pathways, stopovers, occurrence hotspots, spatial density and potential threats of marine species in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Understanding the migratory movements and corridors of fish, sea turtles, marine mammals and birds is critical to effective marine conservation planning and assessing the health of large marine ecosystems. The project consists of a framework, web mapping tool, and a team of scientists working to collect new data and improve analyses.

The Migratory Species Conservation project uses more than 900 satellite tracks from over 100 researchers and biologists in the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba. In collecting this data, The Nature Conservancy discovered that available data is highly biased towards the northern part of the Gulf, closer to the U.S. The Conservancy is working to collect data from other areas of the Gulf and has deployed its own animal trackers to identify migratory pathways across the wider region. It is important to be aware of this bias when drawing conclusions from migratory species conservation data, as there may be additional critical pathways or habitats in the southern Gulf that have not yet been identified.

Is there a cheat sheet for using the Migratory Species Decision Support Tool?

Yes. There are a few key functions to keep in mind with using and showing the tool. Below are some important features of the tool to keep in mind:

1. The decision support tool contains a visualization platform and Migratory Species Conservation “apps.” The platform includes the top blue bar, the base maps, the white button functions on the left side overlaying the base maps, and the lower left buttons (switch to map 2 button and below). The apps are all the icons along the vertical black bar on the left – you may need to scroll through them to see all of them.

2. The Get Started button contains videos and tutorials that demonstrate basic uses and navigation of the tool. This is a great place to start for new users.

3. For a quick rundown on the functions of the tool click on Tour – this will point to the different elements of the tool and give a short explanation of them.

4. When you open an app the icon changes color and appears like an app on your phone. When done using the app you can either use the close (‘x’) button in the upper right hand corner to remove it from being active, and will remove data from the map, or the minimize (‘_’) button to have it remain active and therefore keep data on the map. You can have multiple apps open – minimizing the apps helps maximize how much of the map is shown.

5. Likewise the Map Legend can be minimized (‘_’) – to get the legend back you will find a white button on the left side of the map. Hover your cursor over these buttons and they will tell you what they do.

6. Most of the windows that appear on the map (i.e. app windows, map legend) can be dragged around by clicking down on your mouse when the cursor is hovering over the top black bar.

7. Clicking on data that appears on the map will open an Identify window showing the attributes of the data layer. If the Identify box is too big and goes off the map then pan the map (click and hold mouse down, then drag) until you see the entire window; the Identify window does not move.

8. You can also hold the Shift key down and click and hold the mouse to draw a box map for zooming into a particular area.

9. Using Split View creates two maps. The left map is Full Map 1; the right map is Full Map 2. When you want to go back to viewing a single map you can choose Map 1 or Map 2 and switch between them without having to go back to Split View.

10. If you get lost in the tool you can always press CTRL + F5 and it will reset it. On an Apple machine the command is Command + R. These are your “start over” key strokes!

The Migratory Species Decision Support Tool relies on web technology to function. Therefore, internet connectivity, browser versions, and the computer being used to access the tool all contribute to its performance. Below are a few important notes and some recommended steps to take to ensure you have as good as experience as possible with running the tool.

1. It is always a good idea to reboot your machine if you haven’t recently. This ensures that you have enough memory to run the tool as your local web browser does some of the lifting to make the tool go.

2. If you have the tool open for an extended period of time close the tab and start a new session – being idle for too long can cause it to stall out or freeze.

3. Depending on what you want to show, be ready to show the tool on different browsers. It is always a maze to figure out why a browser isn’t responding well to a website, so having different options is key.

4. While presenting if the tool locks up clear local cache in your browser by pressing CTRL + F5 – you may want to press this several times to fully clear the system. You can also close the tab and open it again to fully flush the site. On an Apple machine the command is Command + R.

5. You can also open a new incognito window (in Chrome this is in the upper right next to the star bookmark this page, “customize and control Google Chrome”). This opens a new browser window that doesn’t rely on any web history. In IE you can open a window from the settings button upper right. This would be Safety > InPrivate Browsing. Seems this works the same way as Chrome incognito.6. Test the tool to make sure it works before presenting it to key audiences. If something is obviously wrong notify a Migratory Species Decision Support Tool network manager (Zach Ferdaña at zferdana@tnc.org).

7. If a base map doesn’t load in single or split view (you get a gray screen) try choosing another map other than the default (topographic on the upper right hand side).

8. If a data layer says “unavailable” it means the data in that web mapping service has timed out. Refreshing your browser sometimes helps, but if it persists it is either broken on the Migratory Species server or from an external source (e.g. an agency server that we do not have control over).

9. The tools are optimized for the latest browsers. Especially if you are using an old version of IE now is the time to update it! BE AWARE THAT A NUMBER OF U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES MAY BE OPERATING WITH OLD BROWSERS, so when possible show the tool from your computer if this is the case.

10. Although the tools work fairly well on tablets they are not optimized for them...

This Migratory Species Decision Support Tool contains the largest database of available information for Gulf of Mexico migratory species, as this data has been collected from more than 100 scientists and researchers, synthesized and analyzed. If you are interested in obtaining raw data on animal tracking, you can access our data sources listed below.

I’m not a government official or a resource planner. How can I get involved?

Getting informed is the best way to get involved! Use the info, tools and publications we’ve included on this site to learn more. You can also begin talking to friends, community members, and local leaders and decision-makers about the importance of protecting our oceans and the migrating species that depend on them. You can also seek out and learn more about the ways in which The Nature Conservancy is working in your community.

Migratory Species Conservation is a project led by The Nature Conservancy to examine the migratory pathways, stopovers, occurrence hotspots, spatial density, and potential threats of marine species in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Understanding the migratory movements and corridors of fish, sea turtles, marine mammals, and birds is critical to effective marine conservation planning and assessing the health of large marine ecosystems. The project consists of a framework, web mapping tool, and a team of scientists working to collect new data and improve analyses.

The Migratory Species Conservation project uses more than 900 satellite tracks from over 100 researchers and biologists in the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba. In collecting this data, The Nature Conservancy discovered that available data is highly biased towards the northern part of the Gulf, closer to the U.S. The Conservancy is working to collect data from other areas of the Gulf and has deployed its own animal trackers to identify migratory pathways across the wider region. It is important to be aware of this bias when drawing conclusions from migratory species conservation data, as there may be additional critical pathways or habitats in the southern Gulf that have not yet been identified.

Yes. There are a few key functions to keep in mind with using and showing the tool. Below are some important features of the tool to keep in mind:

1. The decision support tool contains a visualization platform and Blueways Conservation “apps.” The platform includes the top blue bar, the base maps, the white button functions on the left side overlaying the base maps, and the lower left buttons (switch to map 2 button and below). The apps are all the icons along the vertical black bar on the left – you may need to scroll through them to see all of them.

2. The Get Started button contains videos and tutorials that demonstrate basic uses and navigation of the tool. This is a great place to start for new users.

3. For a quick rundown on the functions of the tool click on Tour – this will point to the different elements of the tool and give a short explanation of them.

4. When you open an app the icon changes color and appears like an app on your phone. When done using the app you can either use the close (‘x’) button in the upper right hand corner to remove it from being active, and will remove data from the map, or the minimize (‘_’) button to have it remain active and therefore keep data on the map. You can have multiple apps open – minimizing the apps helps maximize how much of the map is shown.

5. Likewise the Map Legend can be minimized (‘_’) – to get the legend back you will find a white button on the left side of the map. Hover your cursor over these buttons and they will tell you what they do.

6. Most of the windows that appear on the map (i.e. app windows, map legend) can be dragged around by clicking down on your mouse when the cursor is hovering over the top black bar.

7. Clicking on data that appears on the map will open an Identify window showing the attributes of the data layer. If the Identify box is too big and goes off the map then pan the map (click and hold mouse down, then drag) until you see the entire window; the Identify window does not move.

8. You can also hold the Shift key down and click and hold the mouse to draw a box map for zooming into a particular area.

9. Using Split View creates two maps. The left map is Full Map 1; the right map is Full Map 2. When you want to go back to viewing a single map you can choose Map 1 or Map 2 and switch between them without having to go back to Split View.

10. If you get lost in the tool you can always press CTRL + F5 and it will reset it. On an Apple machine the command is Command + R. These are your “start over” key strokes!

How do I troubleshoot the Blueways Conservation Decision Support Tool?

The Blueways Conservation Decision Support Tool relies on web technology to function. Therefore, internet connectivity, browser versions, and the computer being used to access the tool all contribute to its performance. Below are a few important notes and some recommended steps to take to ensure you have as good as experience as possible with running the tool.

1. It is always a good idea to reboot your machine if you haven’t recently. This ensures that you have enough memory to run the tool as your local web browser does some of the lifting to make the tool go.

2. If you have the tool open for an extended period of time close the tab and start a new session – being idle for too long can cause it to stall out or freeze.

3. Depending on what you want to show, be ready to show the tool on different browsers. It is always a maze to figure out why a browser isn’t responding well to a website, so having different options is key.

4. While presenting if the tool locks up clear local cache in your browser by pressing CTRL + F5 – you may want to press this several times to fully clear the system. You can also close the tab and open it again to fully flush the site. On an Apple machine the command is Command + R.

5. You can also open a new incognito window (in Chrome this is in the upper right next to the star bookmark this page, “customize and control Google Chrome”). This opens a new browser window that doesn’t rely on any web history. In IE you can open a window from the settings button upper right. This would be Safety > InPrivate Browsing. Seems this works the same way as Chrome incognito.6. Test the tool to make sure it works before presenting it to key audiences. If something is obviously wrong notify a Migratory Species Decision Support Tool network manager (Zach Ferdaña at zferdana@tnc.org).

7. If a base map doesn’t load in single or split view (you get a gray screen) try choosing another map other than the default (topographic on the upper right hand side).

8. If a data layer says “unavailable” it means the data in that web mapping service has timed out. Refreshing your browser sometimes helps, but if it persists it is either broken on the Blueways Conservation server or from an external source (e.g. an agency server that we do not have control over).

9. The tools are optimized for the latest browsers. Especially if you are using an old version of IE now is the time to update it! BE AWARE THAT A NUMBER OF U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES MAY BE OPERATING WITH OLD BROWSERS, so when possible show the tool from your computer if this is the case.

10. Although the tools work fairly well on tablets they are not optimized for them...

This Blueways Conservation Decision Support Tool contains the largest database of available information for Gulf of Mexico migratory species, as this data has been collected from more than 100 scientists and researchers, synthesized and analyzed. If you are interested in obtaining raw data on animal tracking, you can access our data sources listed below.

I’m not a government official or a resource planner. How can I get involved?

Getting informed is the best way to get involved! Use the info, tools and publications we’ve included on this site to learn more. You can also begin talking to friends, community members, and local leaders and decision-makers about the importance of protecting our oceans and the migrating species that depend on them. You can also seek out and learn more about the ways in which The Nature Conservancy is working in your community.